Trion Worlds announced Thursday that its MMO shooter, “Defiance” for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC, will be the latest game to make the jump to free-to-play. The crossover events with the SyFy Channel television series will continue though as the series heads into its second season.

The PC version of “Defiance” will be the first to make the switch from a buy-to-play model to free-to-play on June 4 while the Playstation 3 version is currently targeting July 15. A date has not been set yet for the Xbox 360 version as details are still being discussed according to a press release.

While the existing game and future missions will be a free download, Trion is offering bonuses to those that purchase a new retail or digital copy of the game. These players will receive 1,000 Arkforge, the in-game currency, along with four character slots, five loadouts, up to 75 Ark Keycodes and a minimum of 70 inventory slots. They will also receive 30 days of Paradise Patron status once “Defiance” goes free-to-play.

So what does Paradise Patron status grant? It boosts skill, XP, scrip, salvage and reputation gain rates for starters and gives a 10 percent discount for the in-game store. It also gives daily and weekly Ark Hunter Bonus Lock Boxes that give access to a grab bag of one-hour boosts or Arkforge.

Meanwhile, the second season of the “Defiance” TV show is currently set to debut June 19 on the SyFy Channel. The first season ended on a cliff hanger but the second season’s first crossover storyline is already in the works.

“The world of Defiance is rocked when the hope of Tranquility, the first Earthling-Votan hybrid on record, lies dying in Eren's emergency facility,” the official description of the event reads. “As players track down the half-human and half-Irathient crossbreed's medical history, they'll quickly discover other forces are working to cover them up for a dark purpose.”

Those interested in picking up “Defiance” before it goes free-to-play can find it pretty cheap now. Amazon has the downloadable PC version for $9.99 with the console versions under $10 as well. GreenManGaming is another spot where the downloadable PC version can be picked up for $9.99.

Correction: We mistakenly said "Defiance" used a subscription-based model when it was a buy-to-play model.

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Scott has been covering the game industry (and game deals) since late 2009. He takes joy in covering what fits his varied tastes in gaming cultivated from a very young age. You can reach him at jsgrill@gmail.com or follow him on Facebook. He can also be found at the Furious Fourcast where is a co-host and producer.